This file serves as a companion to the poster Integrating Contemporary Methods in Personality Science to Re-Examine the Trait Theory of Voice Disorders presented at Fall Voice 2024.

Important note: to reduce the file size and the time required to render the document, we will import the figures that display the results as a png rather than generating them within this document.

Questions or comments? Please email me!

library(tidyverse, quietly = T)
library(lavaan)
library(semTools)
library(gt)
library(kableExtra)
library(ggpubr)
library(egg)
library(lubridate)
library(scales)
library(forcats)
library(janitor)
library(cowplot)
#import DF
df4c <- read_csv("../csv_files/df_2024.10.12_combined_voiceCenters_STEP.vhi.less3.csv",
                 show_col_types = F)

Background

Primary muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) and phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction (PVH; i.e., benign lesions of the lamina propria) are two of the most common voice disorders. Prior evidence suggests that personality traits may be a risk factor for developing these voice disorders. The Trait Theory of Voice Disorders (TTVD)\(^{1}\) provided a then-contemporary, mechanistically motivated framework to understand the relationships between personality traits and voice disorders. The TTVD asserted that people with MTD are “neurotic introverts” and that people with PVH are “neurotic extraverts.” Although the empirical evidence did not fully support these proposed relationships, Roy et al. found meaningful group differences, supporting the notion that personality may be a risk factor for developing these disorders.\(^{2,3}\) While the MTD group scored higher on Neuroticism and lower on Extraversion, the PVH group demonstrated elevated Extraversion only when compared to the MTD group, and lower scores on Constraint, specifically its facet of Control. The TTVD was pivotal for its time and has continued to influence decades of subsequent research. However, the field of Personality Psychology has continued to grow and evolve. Unfortunately, in its current form, the TTVD is inconsistent with contemporary theories, empirical evidence, and best practices in rigorous personality science. The current project addresses several of these discrepancies to “catch up” with personality science and advance our understanding of personality and voice disorders.

Figure 1. CB5T personality trait hierarchy. The gray circles represent personality traits previously studied in the TTVD.

Figure 1. CB5T personality trait hierarchy. The gray circles represent personality traits previously studied in the TTVD.

The initial TTVD studied personality traits that are represented by the gray ovals.

Motivation for the Study

Obstacle #1

Much of the previous literature into voice disorders focuses on a three-factor model of personality, i.e., Extraversion, Neuroticism, Psychoticism. Personality scientists have overwhelmingly adopted a hierarchically arranged five-factor model of personality (Figure 1).\(^4\) No consensus exists on the number or nature of Facets, the narrowest level of personality traits. The TTVD examined the three broad Domains and their corresponding Facets (shown in gray). Yet, it is unclear how the remaining >80% of well-established personality traits relate to MTD or PVH.

Approach #1

We examined personality differences in patients with MTD, PVH, and healthy controls using the Cybernetic Big Five Theory of Personality\(^5\) (CB5T) and its corresponding personality battery, the Big Five Aspects Scales6 (BFAS). The CB5T is a modern, mechanistic, and comprehensive theory of personality, considered to be “the most recent biologically based theoretical account of the Big Five” personality traits.\(^{4(p.70)}\) With this contemporary theory, we provide a more comprehensive examination of personality differences between the groups.

Obstacle #2

The TTVD recruited a relatively small, homogenous, sample of women, primarily from one clinic location. Rigorous personality research studies often have hundreds to thousands of heterogenous participants to study and understand individual differences.

Approach #2

We partnered with 8 voice disorder clinics around the country (Figure 2) to recruit a heterogenous sample of participants who were diagnosed with MTD (n = 71) or PVH (n = 38) and compared their personalities to 415 vocally healthy controls.

Obstacle #3

Many of the methodological standards commonplace at the time of the TTVD development have since been advanced through quantitative methodology research. A modern revision of these methods could address several key limitations:

  • Using personality assessments with binary response options which have mathematical limitations when using factor analysis\(^{7,8}\)

  • Employing artificial dichotomization via median splits which reduces statistical power, attenuates correlations, and introduces measurement error via a nonlinear transformation\(^{9-11}\)

  • Analyzing data with stepwise logistic regression, which increases Type I errors and spuriously identifies “significant” predictors\(^{12,13}\)

  • Regression-based approaches are mathematically just-identified and unable to account for measurement error\(^{14}\)

Despite the limitations of these methods, they are widely replicated in research of personality and voice disorders. As a result, these limitations may contribute to the inconsistent findings across different personality and voice disorder studies.

Approach #3

We addressed the limitations in Obstacle #3 by using current best practices in personality science. We measured personality with the BFAS, a well-validated measure with a 5-point Likert response option. Moreover, we analyzed our data via structural equation modeling (SEM), a highly flexible analytic framework that has become the gold standard for rigorous Personality Psychology. Specifically, we employed a multiple indicator multiple causes (MIMIC) SEM with random parcel allocation that was estimated via maximum likelihood estimation. Using MIMIC SEM, we simultaneously modeled personality traits controlling for participants’ sex and age. This approach increases statistical power, reduces the likelihood of Type I errors, and models personality traits as latent variables, accounting for measurement error and disattenuating the magnitude of estimates. The three equations below represent the manifest exogenous, endogenous, and structural model used for the MIMIC SEM. By adopting contemporary analytic methods, the current study overcomes several important limitations associated with previous methods used.

Equations in condensed notation for SEM

Equations in condensed notation for SEM

Methods

Recruitment

Patients with MTD or PVH

To recruit particiapnts, we partnered with 8 different voice clinics around the country.

Figure 2. Partnering voice clinics where participants were recruited from.

Figure 2. Partnering voice clinics where participants were recruited from.

Community dwelling individuals experiencing dysphonia would attend their voice evaluation. Upon receiving a diagnosis of primary muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) or a benign lesion of the lamina propria (i.e., phonotraumtic vocal hyperfunction; PVH), clinicians would provide the patient with a recruitment flyer.

Study design

Study design

Inclusion criteria:

  • between 18-60 years old

  • demonstrated fluency with written and spoken English

  • receiving a first-time diagnosis of primary MTD or a diagnosis associated with PVH (i.e., vocal fold nodules, polyp(s) with or without a reactive lesion)

Exclusion criteria:

  • Outside of the 18-60 age range

  • a concomitant voice or upper airway disorder (except for LPR)

  • previous history of a diagnosis or voice/speech therapy for a voice or upper airway disorder

Additionally, clinicians at the voice clinics were instructed to recruit classic, unambiguous presentations of the diagnoses of interest. We aimed to minimize/avoid recruiting patients with an ambiguous and/or complex presentations of any of the diagnoses.

Participant reimbursement:

Participants who successfully completed the survey and wished to be reimbursed for participating were given an electronic gift card to their choice of a major retailer (i.e., Amazon, Starbucks, or Target). Initially, reimbursement was set at $10. After a period of slow recruitment, we increased reimbursement to $20 and finally to $40. Most participants who competed the survey received a $40 gift card.

Vocally Healthy Controls

We have personality and VHI-10 data for 1,843 individuals that was collected in a separate online study. All of these participants denied having a voice disorder. However, since we were unable to verify their vocal health, we took a conservative approach and only used data from individuals with VHI-10 sum score ≤ 3. We chose this cut-off based on Arffa et al. (2012) where the average score for voally healthy individuals was 2.83 (SD = 3.93). We used the personality data from the remaining participants (N = 415) as the vocally healthy control for the current study.

Results

Demographics

Age

df4c %>%
  filter(age>17) %>%
  ggplot(aes(age, fill = survey)) + 
  geom_density(alpha = .7) + 
  theme_minimal() + 
  scale_fill_brewer(palette = "YlGnBu") + 
  labs(title = "Age Distribution",
       x = "Age") +
  theme(legend.title = element_blank(),
        legend.text = element_text(size = 14),
        plot.title = element_text(size = 16,
                                  hjust = .5),
        axis.title.x = element_text(size = 14,
                                    face = "bold"),
        axis.text.x = element_text(size = 14)) -> age_distribution

age_distribution

df4c %>%
  filter(age>17) %>%
  group_by(survey) %>%
  summarise(M = round(mean(age),2),
            SD = round(sd(age),2),
            Med = median(age),
            Min = min(age),
            Max = max(age),
            n = n()) %>%
  gt() %>%
  tab_header(title = "Age Distribution by Diagnostic Group") %>% 
  tab_options(table.align = "center") %>%
  cols_width(everything() ~ px(100)) %>%
  cols_align("center")
Age Distribution by Diagnostic Group
survey M SD Med Min Max n
Control 37.31 10.23 35.0 18 60 416
MTD 38.59 11.69 37.0 19 60 71
PVH 40.42 10.38 41.5 19 56 36

Sex

df4c %>%
  group_by(survey, sex) %>%
  summarise(n = n()) %>%
  mutate(Percent_total = round(n/nrow(df4c)*100,2),
         Percent_group = round(n/sum(n)*100,2)) %>%
  gt() %>%
  tab_header(title = "Sex Distribution - By DX Group") %>% 
  tab_options(table.align = "center") %>%
  cols_width(everything() ~ px(120)) %>%
  cols_align("center")
Sex Distribution - By DX Group
sex n Percent_total Percent_group
Control
female 286 54.48 68.75
male 130 24.76 31.25
MTD
female 57 10.86 80.28
male 14 2.67 19.72
PVH
female 29 5.52 76.32
male 9 1.71 23.68

Figure

df4c %>%
  group_by(survey, sex) %>%
  summarise(n = n()) %>%
  mutate(percent = round(n/sum(n)*100, 2)) %>%
  as_tibble() %>%
  ungroup() %>%
  ggplot(aes(x = survey, 
             y = percent,
             fill = sex)) +
  geom_bar(position = position_stack(reverse = T), 
           stat = "identity",
           alpha = 1) +
  theme_minimal() +
  labs(x = "Group",
       y = "Percent",
       title = "Sex Distribution") + 
  theme(plot.title = element_text(size = 16,
                                  hjust = .5),
        legend.title = element_blank(),
        legend.text = element_text(size = 14),
        axis.title = element_text(face = "bold",
                                  size = 14),
        axis.text = element_text(size = 14)) + 
  coord_flip() +
  scale_fill_manual(values = rev(c("#41b6c4", "#7fcdbb")),
                    labels = c("Female", "Male")) 

Cisgender

df4c %>%
  mutate(gndr_expansive = case_when(
    sex == gender ~ "cis",
    sex != gender ~ "trans"
  )) %>%
  select(unique_id, gndr_expansive, survey, sex:gender_other) %>%
  group_by(survey, gndr_expansive) %>%
  summarise(n = n()) %>%
  mutate(percent_total = round(n/nrow(df4c)*100, 2),
         percent_group = round(n/sum(n)*100,2)) %>%
  gt() %>%
  tab_header(title = "Cisgender - By Group") %>% 
  tab_options(table.align = "center") %>%
  cols_width(everything() ~ px(150)) %>%
  cols_align("center")
Cisgender - By Group
gndr_expansive n percent_total percent_group
Control
cis 413 78.67 99.28
trans 3 0.57 0.72
MTD
cis 66 12.57 92.96
trans 5 0.95 7.04
PVH
cis 36 6.86 94.74
trans 2 0.38 5.26

Race & Ethnicity

df4c %>%
  select(unique_id, survey, race_AmericanIndianAlaskaNative:race_pnts, race_Other) %>%
  pivot_longer(race_AmericanIndianAlaskaNative:race_Other, 
               names_to = "Race",
               names_prefix = "race_",
               values_to = "Checked") %>%
  filter(Checked == 1) %>%
  group_by(survey, Race) %>%
  summarise(n = n()) %>%
  mutate(percent_total = round(n/nrow(df4c)*100,2),
         percent_group = round(n/sum(n)*100,2)) %>%

#  arrange(desc(n)) %>%
  gt() %>%
  tab_header(title = "Race Distribution By Group") %>% 
  tab_options(table.align = "center") %>%
  cols_width(everything() ~ px(150)) %>%
  cols_align("center")
Race Distribution By Group
Race n percent_total percent_group
Control
AmericanIndianAlaskaNative 5 0.95 1.28
Asian 16 3.05 4.08
BlackAfricanAmerican 51 9.71 13.01
NativeHawaiianPacificIslander 1 0.19 0.26
Other 7 1.33 1.79
pnts 3 0.57 0.77
WhiteCaucasian 309 58.86 78.83
MTD
AmericanIndianAlaskaNative 1 0.19 1.33
Asian 6 1.14 8.00
BlackAfricanAmerican 12 2.29 16.00
pnts 5 0.95 6.67
WhiteCaucasian 51 9.71 68.00
PVH
AmericanIndianAlaskaNative 1 0.19 2.56
Asian 2 0.38 5.13
BlackAfricanAmerican 4 0.76 10.26
pnts 2 0.38 5.13
WhiteCaucasian 30 5.71 76.92
df4c %>%
  group_by(survey, ethnicity) %>%
  summarise(n = n()) %>%
  mutate(Percent_total = round(n/nrow(df4c)*100, 2),
         Percent_group = round(n/sum(n)*100, 2)) %>%
 # arrange(desc(n)) %>%
  gt() %>%
  tab_header(title = "Etnicity Distribution By Group") %>% 
  tab_options(table.align = "center") %>%
  cols_width(everything() ~ px(150)) %>%
  cols_align("center")
Etnicity Distribution By Group
ethnicity n Percent_total Percent_group
Control
Hispanic or Latinx/e 25 4.76 6.01
NOT Hispanic or Latinx/e 391 74.48 93.99
MTD
Hispanic or Latinx/e 3 0.57 4.23
NOT Hispanic or Latinx/e 65 12.38 91.55
Unknown / Not Reported 3 0.57 4.23
PVH
Hispanic or Latinx/e 1 0.19 2.63
NOT Hispanic or Latinx/e 36 6.86 94.74
Unknown / Not Reported 1 0.19 2.63

Education

df4c %>%
  group_by(survey, edu_label) %>%
  summarise(n = n()) %>%
  mutate(Percent_total = round(n/nrow(df4c)*100,2),
         Percent_group = round(n/sum(n)*100,2)) %>%
  gt() %>%
  tab_header(title = "Education Distribution - By DX Group") %>% 
  tab_options(table.align = "center") %>%
  cols_width(everything() ~ px(120)) %>%
  cols_align("center")
Education Distribution - By DX Group
edu_label n Percent_total Percent_group
Control
Associate's degree 41 7.81 9.86
Bachelor's degree 126 24.00 30.29
Doctoral/terminal degree 16 3.05 3.85
High school diploma 46 8.76 11.06
Master's degree 88 16.76 21.15
No high school education 1 0.19 0.24
Prefer not to say 1 0.19 0.24
Some college 81 15.43 19.47
Some high school education 2 0.38 0.48
Trade or technical certificate 14 2.67 3.37
MTD
Associate's degree 6 1.14 8.45
Bachelor's degree 20 3.81 28.17
Doctoral/terminal degree 8 1.52 11.27
High school diploma 8 1.52 11.27
Master's degree 8 1.52 11.27
Prefer not to say 2 0.38 2.82
Some college 15 2.86 21.13
Trade or technical certificate 4 0.76 5.63
PVH
Bachelor's degree 14 2.67 36.84
Doctoral/terminal degree 2 0.38 5.26
High school diploma 6 1.14 15.79
Master's degree 10 1.90 26.32
Some college 4 0.76 10.53
Some high school education 2 0.38 5.26

Singing History

Data only available for the voice disorder groups

df4c %>%
  filter(survey != "Control") %>%
  group_by(survey, singer_yn) %>%
  summarise(n = n()) %>%
  mutate(percent_group = round(n/sum(n)*100,2)) %>%
  gt() %>%
  tab_header(title = "Singer Distribution By Group") %>% 
  tab_options(table.align = "center") %>%
  cols_width(everything() ~ px(150)) %>%
  cols_align("center")
Singer Distribution By Group
singer_yn n percent_group
MTD
0 34 47.89
1 37 52.11
PVH
0 12 31.58
1 24 63.16
NA 2 5.26

Diagnosis

Only available for the voice disorder groups

df4c %>%
  filter(survey == "MTD" | survey == "PVH") %>%
  ggplot(aes(fct_infreq(survey))) +
  geom_bar(color = "black",
                 fill = "#addd8e") + 
  theme_minimal() + 
  geom_text(stat = "count", aes(label = after_stat(count)), vjust = -.5)+
  labs(title = "Diagnostic Group Count",
       x = "Survey",
       y = "Count") + 
  theme(plot.title = element_text(hjust = .5),
        axis.title = element_text(size = 12,
                                  face = "bold"),
        axis.text = element_text(color = "black",
                                 size = 10))

df4c %>%
  filter(survey != "Control") %>%
  group_by(dx) %>%
  summarise(n = n(),
            percent = round(n/nrow(filter(df4c, survey != "Control"))*100,2)) %>%
  arrange(desc(n)) %>%
  gt() %>%
  tab_header(title = "Self-Reported DX - From Voice Centers") %>%
  tab_options(table.align = "center") %>%
  cols_width("dx" ~ px(250),
             everything() ~ px(100)) %>%
  cols_align("center")
Self-Reported DX - From Voice Centers
dx n percent
Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) 48 44.04
I do not know my diagnosis 25 22.94
Vocal fold polyp on one side (unilateral) 11 10.09
Benign-appearing vocal fold 'bumps' or lesions 10 9.17
Vocal fold nodules 6 5.50
Benign bilateral lesions 2 1.83
Vocal fold polyp (on one side, unilateral) 2 1.83
Diagnosis not listed 1 0.92
Mid membranous swelling 1 0.92
Vocal fold lesion 1 0.92
Vocal fold polyps (bilateral) 1 0.92
Vocal hyperfunction 1 0.92

VHI-10 Distribution

df4c %>%  
  filter(survey != "Control") %>%
ggplot(aes(score_vhi10, fill = survey)) + 
  geom_density(alpha = .7) + 
  theme_minimal() + 
  scale_fill_brewer(palette = "YlGnBu") + 
  labs(title = "VHI-10 Distribution of Participants with MTD or PVH",
       x = "VHI-10 Sum Score") +
  theme(legend.title = element_blank(),
        legend.text = element_text(size = 14),
        plot.title = element_text(size = 16,
                                  hjust = .5),
        axis.title.x = element_text(size = 14,
                                    face = "bold"),
        axis.text.x = element_text(size = 14)) 

df4c %>%
  group_by(survey) %>%
  summarise(Mean = round(mean(score_vhi10, na.rm = T),2),
            SD = round(sd(score_vhi10, na.rm = T),2),
            Med = median(score_vhi10, na.rm = T), 
            Min = min(score_vhi10, na.rm = T),
            Max = max(score_vhi10, na.rm = T)) %>%
    gt() %>%
  tab_header(title = "VHI-10 Distribution by Group") %>%
  tab_options(table.align = "center") %>%
  cols_width(everything() ~ px(120)) %>%
  cols_align("center")
VHI-10 Distribution by Group
survey Mean SD Med Min Max
Control 1.38 1.14 1.0 0 3
MTD 18.99 8.67 18.0 4 40
PVH 17.89 9.72 18.5 0 40

Personality Distributions

Important note: These score distributions are the mean scores for each of the respective items. These average scores do not account for measurement error. The statistical analysis used for the current study examine group differences while accounting for measurement error and controling for the effects of age and sex.

Personality trait distributions

Personality trait distributions

Structural Equation Modeling Results

Age and Sex

Parameter estimates for the fixed effects of age and sex.

Parameter estimates for the fixed effects of age and sex.

Group differences

Parameter estimates for group differences on each trait controlling for age and sex.

Parameter estimates for group differences on each trait controlling for age and sex.

Discussion

The current study re-examined the TTVD by integrating contemporary theory and methods from Personality Psychology.

These results replicate some of the initial findings from Roy et al.,\(^{2,3}\) including:

  • The MTD group was significantly higher on Neuroticism, Withdrawal, and Volatility compared to controls.

  • The PVH group displayed elevated, though not significantly higher levels of Neuroticism, Extraversion, Enthusiasm, and Assertiveness compared to controls.

  • The PVH group was significantly higher on Extraversion and Assertiveness compared to the MTD group.

  • The PVH group was significantly lower on Industriousness and Politeness, traits that correlate with the facets Control and Aggression, respectively, used in the earlier investigations into the TTVD.

Certain differences were not replicated, including:

  • The MTD group was not lower on Extraversion compared to controls, although they were slightly lower on one of its aspects, Assertiveness.

  • The PVH group was not significantly lower on Conscientiousness compared to the controls.

With a more comprehensive measure, we found several novel findings, including:*

  • The MTD group was lower on Conscientiousness and Openness/Intellect, specifically the aspects of Industriousness and Intellect, respectively.

  • The PVH group was lower on Agreeableness compared to the controls.

  • Group differences in the higher-order personality traits Stability and Plasticity.

By re-examining the TTVD through a modern personality science lens, this project addressed several key methodological limitations and identified novel personality differences between groups. Future work will be better equipped to interrogate personality and its potential role as a risk factor for developing MTD or PVH.

References

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  2. Roy N, Bless D, Heisey D. Personality and voice disorders: A superfactor trait analysis. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing research. 2000;43(3):749-768.

  3. Roy N, Bless DM, Heisey D. Personality and voice disorders: A multitrait-multidisorder analysis. Journal of Voice. 2000;14(4):521-548. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-1997(00)80009-0

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  9. Cohen J. The cost of dichotomization. Appl Psychol Meas. 1983;7(3):249-253. doi:10.1177/014662168300700301

  10. Decoster J, Gallucci M, Iselin AMR. Best practices for using median splits, artificial categorization, and their continuous alternatives. Journal of Experimental Psychopathology JEP. 2011;2:197-209. doi:10.5127/jep.008310

  11. McClelland GH, Lynch JG, Irwin JR, Spiller SA, Fitzsimons GJ. Median splits, Type II errors, and false-positive consumer psychology: Don’t fight the power. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 2015;25(4):679-689. doi:10.1016/j.jcps.2015.06.014

  12. Derksen S, Keselman HJ. Backward, forward and stepwise automated subset selection algorithms: Frequency of obtaining authentic and noise variables. British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology. 1992;45(2):265-282. doi:10.1111/j.2044-8317.1992.tb00992.x

  13. Smith G. Step away from stepwise. J Big Data. 2018;5(32):1-12. doi:10.1186/s40537-018-0143-6

  14. Hoyle RH. Structural equation modeling: An overview. In: Hoyle RH, ed. Handbook of Structural Equation Modeling. 2nd ed. The Guilford Press; 2023:3-16.


  1. Department of Psychology, University of Kansas

  2. Department of Otolaryngology, UPMC Voice Center

  3. Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh